A Keswick church is to host a service where church leaders will reaffirm a commitment to closer working ties, a decade after Cumbria became England’s first ecumenical county.
The service at the town’s Methodist church on Southey Street on Sunday November 28, at 3pm, will be attended by all the county’s denominational leaders, representatives from mission communities, local Churches Together groups and ecumenical projects from across Cumbria.
Leaders from the four partner denominations – United Reformed, Methodists, Salvation Army and Anglican – will re-affirm a declaration of intent, signalling a commitment to continue to work closely to grow God’s Kingdom in the county.
At the same time leaders of companion denominations – the Church of Scotland, Roman Catholic Church, the Religious Society of Friends and the North Western Baptist Association – and others will affirm their support.
The Rev Andrew Dodd, president of Churches Together in Cumbria, said: “I give thanks for the close ties that continue to be forged among churches of various denominations and persuasions in Cumbria as together we look to reach out with the Gospel message.
“This is a significant moment; a chance to reflect on what has gone before in the last ten years whilst also looking ahead as we build new forms of mission and ministry together and look to support our existing and new faith communities through our ecumenical God for All vision.”
The service will include a series of four special reflections considering how a focus on ecumenical working has supported mission in Kirkby Lonsdale, across social responsibility, mission in and around the Cockermouth area and as part of the Network Youth Church, which supports hundreds of young people across Cumbria in their faith journeys.
The Rev Dr Paul Goodliff, general secretary of Churches Together in England, will also give an address at the service.
In 2011 leaders from the Methodist, United Reformed and Anglican churches first joined together to sign a declaration of intent. They were joined in 2016 by the Salvation Army.
Since then the partner denominations – along with the companion denominations – have developed the God for All vision and strategy. That is currently being refreshed around four new themes: speak boldly, follow daily, care deeply and tread gently.
